When he bought Ardbraccan House in 2013 for almost €5m, it was safe to assume that few people in Ireland had ever heard of Charles Noell (63). He's hardly a household name now either.

But the businessman has established a sizeable fortune over the years, particularly through his close links with associate John Moores. Mr Moores has had extensive interests in the technology sector, and also owned the San Diego Padres baseball team before selling it in 2012 for about $800m (€715m). Mr Noell was vice-chairman of the team.

JMI Equity, which Mr Noell co-founded in 1992 with financial backing from Mr Moores, has investments in a large number of software and technology firms.

The pair had invested heavily in the horse-racing sector, owning a major stud in Kentucky.

In 2013, Mr Noell and Mr Moores bought all the horses - 30 in total - owned by Kilfrush Stud in Co Limerick. Acquiring such a stable of thoroughbreds could typically have taken years.

Mr Noell has established a company in Ireland called Merriebelle Farms, which is based at Ardbraccan House.